Head On (Season 4, Episode 1)
by bionic4ever
Summary: Jaime is the victim of a car accident that creates havoc with her already fragile memory. Was it really an accident? My take on where the show might have gone if given a fourth season. Thank you, Bionic Project members!
1. Chapter 1

**Head On**

Chapter One

It happened too fast; there was no time to swerve out of the way or even slam on the brakes. Jaime had been distracted, daydreaming about her upcoming wedding and wondering what her new assignment might be, as she steered the blue Datsun down the winding road toward OSI-Los Angeles, but even if her mind had been fully on the road she'd have had no chance. The oncoming car veered into her lane at the last possible second and a collision was unavoidable. Perhaps it was a blessing that she never knew what hit her.

Investigators were already swarming the crash site as Jaime was loaded, unconscious, into the waiting ambulance. It was obvious a second car had been involved, judging from the second set of skid marks and the gouge in a nearby tree, but the mangled Datsun was the only vehicle they found.

Chris Williams' car screeched to a halt and he hit the ground running, catching the last paramedic just before the ambulance doors closed.

"Are you Chris?" the medic asked. Chris nodded, still trying to catch his breath and make sense of it all. "Your number was in her wallet. You can ride with us, but we have to go _now_."

"How is she?" Williams asked as he quickly climbed aboard. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the answer for himself. Jaime was lying on the gurney, so motionless and silent that she didn't look alive. Her head (all he could see right now) was covered with bruises, welts...and blood.

"We're taking her to National," the medic told him. "Her doctor's name was in her wallet, too; he's meeting us there."

Rudy and his team were waiting just inside the doors of the ambulance bay. When he saw his gravely injured patient, his face paled and he sprang into immediate action. As the crew ran to the elevator with the gurney in tow, Rudy noticed Chris off in a corner, looking shocked and beyond grief. He took a moment to try and comfort him with a fatherly arm across his shoulders.

"I have to get up to the OR," he told Williams, "but Oscar's here; he's up in my office, if you'd like to join him." Chris nodded, too stunned to speak, and headed for the stairs at the end of the hall.

- - - - - -

Jaime was in surgery for most of the night, and the sun was beginning to rise before a weary Rudy joined Chris and Oscar, who were on their third pot of coffee. His face was grim.

"She's alive," he said quietly, "but that's the only good news I have."

"How bad...?" was all Chris could manage.

"She's suffered massive blunt force trauma...we were able to arrest the bleeding into her brain and repair some of the damage, but Jaime's deeply comatose. I can't tell you when – or even if – she might regain consciousness."

"Can I see her?" Chris asked numbly.

"They're taking her to ICU now; you can meet them there. I'll be down in a few minutes."

Rudy waited until Chris was out of hearing range before delivering the rest of his news. "You'd better call Jim and Helen," he told Oscar.

Oscar nodded sadly. "There's someone else I should probably call first." Rudy raised a questioning eyebrow. "Steve would want to be here," Oscar explained. "You know that."

"But Jaime and Chris are engaged; do you think it's wise -?"

"He'll know where to reach Jim and Helen. Besides, if we don't call him and Jaime..." Oscar couldn't bring himself to say the word 'dies'. Like Chris, he couldn't absorb the possibility. "If something happens to her...and he wasn't notified, he'll never forgive us."

Oscar picked up the receiver, then sighed, replaced it and ran his hands over his face in sheer frustration. "I have absolutely no idea how to tell him about this..."

- - - - - -

Chris paced slowly across the floor of Jaime's cubicle and back again, stopping every few minutes to stare at the woman he loved and to choke back his tears. He wanted more than anything to take her into his arms, hold her close and somehow make this all go away, but he was afraid to even touch her – she looked so fragile. As each hour went by, he could almost feel her gradually slipping away.

They'd been so happy, less than 48 hours ago, when they'd spent hours planning their wedding over a candlelit dinner. It didn't seem possible that the same vibrant, beautiful woman who'd sat across from him, smiling radiantly at his every word, was now lying so close to death. Chris paused in his lonely trek across the floor to whisper private, tender words of love in Jaime's ear and as he stood up again, he was shocked by the appearance in the doorway of the one person he hadn't expected to see.

Steve stood just outside the cubicle, his face mirroring the anguish Chris felt down to the core of his soul. Chris nodded, allowing him entry, and Steve moved slowly to the bed, gazing down at Jaime and then having to turn away and close his eyes – the pain was simply too much to bear. Wordlessly, the two men walked out to the hallway together. For the moment, they weren't rivals for the same woman's affections. They were two men sharing an identical sense of loss, but neither one of them had any idea what to say.

- - - - - -


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Has she been awake at all?" Steve asked, very quietly.

Chris shook his head. "Not yet."

"Chris, I never got the chance to say congratulations...to either of you. You make Jaime really happy, and I'm grateful to you for that." Williams raised his eyebrows in surprise, and Steve nodded. "I know that 'my' Jaime is gone, and since I know you're good to her – and good _for_ her - that makes me happy, too," he said simply.

"I appreciate that." Chris slumped forward against the wall, barely able to choke out his next words. "She's...in bad shape, Steve."

"I know."

"You need some time alone with Jaime now," Chris allowed. "I understand that; I'll wait out here."

Steve didn't know him well enough to hug him, so he placed a quiet hand on Chris' arm. "Thank you." He returned to Jaime's side and, finding her left hand fairly unscathed, Steve clasped it gently in his own. "Hi there," he said in a near-whisper. "Jaime, I know how badly you'd like to see your parents again, but it isn't time. Not yet. See, I have to throw you and Chris the world's best engagement party. You don't wanna miss that, do you?" His voice nearly broke, but Steve struggled to keep his tone light...and loving. "You two are just getting started. He really loves you a lot, Jaime, and I know you love him, so you need to fight this and give yourselves a shot at happiness."

Steve leaned a little closer to Jaime's bed. "I love you, too, Jaime, and I want you to be happy. You deserve that and you darn well better get back here and claim it. Do you hear me?" Tears began to pearl on his cheek, and Steve could say no more. He bent down and tenderly kissed her hand before releasing it and rejoining her fiance in the hallway.

Oscar was there now, too, and as Chris returned to his seat by Jaime's bed, Steve embraced his boss/friend, still trying to rein in his emotions. "This must be doubly hard on you," Oscar began softly. "Seeing her like this, and not being the one sitting by her side..."

Steve nodded. As usual, Oscar had hit the nail directly on the head. "How did this happen, Oscar? Did she...fall asleep at the wheel?"

"Let's go down to the conference room, Pal; we need to talk."

- - - - - -

"...so even though there had to be another car involved," Jack Hansen summarized, "we have no physical evidence and no leads."

Steve stared in horror at the pictures on the conference table. "You've sure Jaime didn't hit the tree?"

"Her car was facing the wrong direction," Russ explained, "and the height of the gouge doesn't match the front of the Datsun."

"The gouge in the tree...was fresh?"

"Very. But Jaime was hit head on," Hansen continued. "By a vehicle; not by a tree. There were no skid marks before the point of impact, from either direction -"

"So Jaime never saw it coming," Steve surmised.

"The other car didn't skid into her lane or try to stop," Oscar added. "This could very well have been deliberate."

"You think someone did this to her – on purpose?" Steve's mind reeled with the awful possibility.

"This was a set-up, but whether Jaime was the target, we just don't know yet. Whatever it takes, we need to find that car...and the driver."

"Maybe I could find paint chips or debris...something..." Steve offered. "I wanna see the crash site."

Oscar eyed him sympathetically, a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're up to that, Pal?"

"No – I'm not up to it, but I need to do this...for Jaime."

- - - - - -

The car had been towed away for testing and inspection, but the large patch of torn and flattened grass clearly marked the spot where Jaime had nearly died. Steve shuddered and turned his attention to the gnarled old tree with a large, ugly impact crater in its bark. Focusing in as closely as his eye would allow, he immediately noticed much more than the inspectors could've ever spotted.

The depth of the gouge was obvious to the naked eye - the tree had very nearly been sliced through the middle with great force – but there was something else that only Steve's well-trained and finely-tuned eye could see. He stared mutely for a few minutes at the evidence of pure evil, then turned back toward Oscar and the others. "Black paint flecks and gold bits, probably from the front grille," he stated flatly. "The car didn't bounce off and it wasn't able to reverse its way out, either."

"What did you see, Pal?" Oscar prompted.

"Drag marks. This car was pulled out by force. Jaime was right over there...needing help...and someone thought it was more important to get this car outta here than to call for the ambulance."

"It _**was **_a set-up," Hansen agreed. "They must have had a truck ready and waiting to remove the evidence that quickly -"

Speculation suddenly halted when Oscar's car phone began to ring. Russ answered quickly, and returned looking shaken and grim. "That was Rudy at the hospital. We need to get back there fast...it's about Jaime..."

- - - - - -


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The outer hallway of the Bionics Section at National seemed eerily deserted. Steve sensed, even before he saw it, the maelstrom of activity centered in Jaime's ICU cubicle. As he ran down the hall, the first person he saw was Chris Williams, slumped dejectedly into a chair, his head in his hands, all alone.

"What happened?" Steve demanded anxiously.

"She...coded." Chris told him, without looking up.

"What?" Steve looked into the cubicle and saw the cluster of doctors, nurses and technicians and heard the ominous, steady single tone of the heart monitor, and his own heart broke. "Oh, God...no..." He sank down into the chair next to Chris and assumed a near-identical posture as Oscar and Russ caught up.

The four men barely breathed until the steady, deathly drone of the monitor began to jump once again into light, reassuring beeps. Most of the medical staff had filed out before Rudy finally emerged. Four necks nearly whiplashed as everyone snapped to attention.

"We got her back," Rudy told them, sighing with worry and exhaustion. "It was close, but she's finally stable. Critical, but stable. I've given her medicine to counteract the swelling in her brain, and so far it appears to be working." He patted Chris on the shoulder. "You can go in now."

"Not so fast," Hansen said, joining them. "Mr. Williams and I have some talking to do."

"Come on, Jack," Steve said sharply. "His fiancée almost died tonight. Whatever it is can wait."

"This can't," Hansen responded flatly. He grabbed Chris by the arm, stopping him from entering the cubicle. "We can talk in the conference room here, or I can take you down to headquarters. Your choice."

Chris looked bewildered. "Whatever you have to say to me, just spit it out, Hansen."

"I think you'd rather talk about this in private," Hansen insisted, especially conscious of Steve's eyes upon the two of them.

"Just get it over with so I can get back to Jaime. I'm not sure what your problem is, but I have nothing to hide from you or anybody else!"

"Alright; if that's how you want it played." Hansen placed Chris in a chair on the other side of the hall, away from the cluster of men. "Tell me about your new car, Chris."

"Huh?"

"Two weeks ago, you bought a brand-new sports car," Jack persisted.

"What's your point?"

"When was the last time you drove that car?"

Chris frowned, his gaze still focused on Jaime. "I took Jaime for a drive about a week ago...that was when I proposed to her. Hansen, get to the point! She needs me in there!"

The NSB man shook his head sadly. "She needs you about as much as she needed a car wreck."

Steve had heard enough. "That's it, Jack – leave him alone!" He pulled the investigator away from Williams and glared angrily at him. "The man is grieving; can't you see that? Maybe you need to leave!"

Hansen turned back to Chris. "Why don't you tell Steve – tell all of us – what type of car we're talking about, Williams?"

"It's back at my house, in the garage. If you're that overly concerned about my new car, feel free to check it out!"

"Oh, believe me, we already have. But for now, tell these men what kind of car it is, so they know exactly what sort of monster we're dealing with here!"

"Jack!" Steve protested. Chris was too numbed, emotionally, to stick up for himself, but clearly Hansen was going too far.

"_Tell them, Chris!" _Hansen prodded.

"It's a Trans-Am."

"A _black _TransAm," Hansen finished for him. "With _**gold **_fire design. And it's not in your garage. I just got a phone call from my investigators, who saw it pulled out of Lake Casitas with massive front end damage. Chris Williams, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of a Federal agent." He jerked the new prisoner roughly to his feet. "You damn well better hope and pray that she lives," he growled, snapping on the handcuffs, "or I will personally see to getting you a one-way ticket to the electric chair!"

"This is impossible!" Chris protested. "I'd never hurt Jaime – I love her!" He tried to pull away from Hansen, his head turned toward the cubicle where Jaime was still lying comatose in her bed. "There's been a mistake – an awful mistake! Please...I need to be with her!"

Hansen shook his head again and began forcing the distraught man down the hallway. "You need to be in the Hole – for the rest of your short life, if I have my way."

- - - - - -


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"I...don't...believe...it," Rudy murmured after Chris had been led away.

"It doesn't make sense," Steve agreed. "Jaime just agreed to marry him; why would Chris try to kill her? And why would he buy a brand-new car, just to wreck it? It just doesn't add up..."

"You don't think he did it," Oscar said, noting his friend's face was more worried than angry.

Russ frowned. "Maybe he's been working for the other side and was leading her on the whole time, gaining her trust, and -"

"I don't think so," Steve interrupted. "I looked in his eyes when I first got here, and there was no guilt...the man is grieving. He loves Jaime..."

"And so do you, Pal," Oscar added quietly.

"Believe me, if I'm wrong about him, if he did this, the NSB will have trouble finding the pieces of him I'll leave behind. But you've always said that when nothing makes sense to trust my gut – and my gut says he didn't do it." He stared into the cubicle at Jaime, who looked smaller and so very fragile amongst the monitors and equipment. Steve swallowed hard, trying to force his own emotions down along with the lump in his throat. "She deserves to have the man she loves by her side...and I think I can help."

- - - - - -

Steve parked his car down the block from Chris' house, unsure of who might still be investigating there. Shocked (but somewhat relieved) to find it deserted, he ambled quickly up the driveway. He noted the pry marks at the bottom of the closed garage door, then made his way slowly around the unfamiliar house until he found a door to the garage, located all the way in back. The lock and the knob had no tool marks on them, but Steve found they turned loosely and easily in his hand and he stepped inside the garage.

Everything seemed to be in its place – and the structure was immaculate. There were no signs of oil or coolant leaks on the cement floor; Williams obviously took great care of his vehicles. Steve also noted a second door, leading into the house from the garage, but he had seen all he needed to see and hurried back to his own car to call Oscar.

- - - - - -

The basement corridor known as The Hole seemed even darker and more threatening than usual as Oscar, Russ and Steve made their way to the tiny interrogation room at the very end of the hall. A single voice could be heard shouting the second they'd stepped into the basement.

"You set your own fiancée up to die – for what?" Hansen was thundering. The answer, if there was one, was too soft to hear. "Dammit – tell me why you did it! Was it money? Were you planning to sell her?"

"No..." Williams anguished, pain-filled voice replied with surprising force.

A metallic rustle and a low thump were followed by silence. Steve didn't wait to hear what might be coming next. Instead, he grasped the handle and pulled the solid steel door directly off its hinges. Hansen and his Chief Investigator, Bill Parr, loomed over a bruised and bloodied Chris Williams. When the door flew off, Parr had picked their prisoner up by the chain of his wrist shackles and was about to either punch him or throw him; upon seeing Steve, he lowered Williams carefully back onto the hard metal bench.

"You're interfering with an NSB investigation, Austin," Parr snarled.

"Maybe the NSB would be interested in knowing they've got an innocent man," Steve countered, with Oscar and Russ both standing – arms folded – directly behind him.

"That's for us to determine," Parr said coldly. "You'll have to leave now."

"Bill..." Hansen said evenly, "maybe we should hear him out."

"You know as well as I do that he's guilty. It was his car that -"

"That was found way too quickly and much too easily," Steve interrupted. "Who headed the team that found it? Oh, let me take a wild guess – you did, didn't you, Mr. Parr – Sir?"

"I don't care much for your tone, Colonel, and I don't like what you're insinuating!" Parr snapped.

"Ugly, isn't it?" Steve mused. "In these cases, the truth usually is. Your good friend, Senator Renshaw, told us everything." Chris sat up a little straighter, rustling the chains that held him. Steve turned to a stunned and silent Hansen. "Jack, take those off of him; we need to get him back to Jaime."

Under Oscar's watchful eye, Russ moved into the room and led Parr away in handcuffs while Steve attempted to explain what had just happened to two very shocked men. "Chris, the back door to your garage opens pretty easily. Anyone wanting to get access to your car would've had no problem."

Chris nodded painfully. "I've got an order in to have that fixed."

"Good. Anyhow, I found pry marks on your garage door, like someone was very determined to make it look like a burglary. Trouble is, a burglar – or a car thieving attempted murderer – would have checked the doors before making such a blatant, out-in-the-open move. Against that aluminum door, pry tools would've made quite the racket and you have neighbors close by on every side. No criminal would risk it, and it would certainly draw attention if you did it yourself. It had to come from the investigating team...and that brings us to Parr. He did a shoddy job at a cover-up; that door should've been bent to hell."

"But why...why Jaime? And with my car?"

"He wanted to lock Jaime away when she tried to retire," Steve said simply. "You attempted to help her. Renshaw told us that Parr was furious – said Jaime cost him a promotion and made him look like a fool. Not that he needs much help in that regard." Steve smiled. "We can fill you in on the rest later, but let's get you back where you belong now: with your fiancée."

- - - - - -


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Great work, today," Oscar affirmed, joining Steve outside Jaime's cubicle.

Steve nodded. "Thanks. I have a feeling there's a whole lot more to the story, though."

"Our methods may not be as refined as the NSB's, but we'll get him to talk somehow," Oscar said confidently. He noticed that Steve's eyes still hadn't left Chris and Jaime. "How are they? Have you talked to Rudy?"

"Jaime's still stable – no better, but no worse either. Parr dislocated Chris' shoulder, but Rudy popped it back in and put some ice on his lip – says he'll be fine."

"How are _you _doing?" Oscar asked quietly.

"I'm...alright," Steve said, not even convincing himself. "I spent some time with her while Chris was getting patched up."

"Talk to me, Pal?" Oscar suggested, a paternal arm across Steve's shoulder.

"Seeing her in there like that and not being the one by her side...it's so hard! I wanna hold her hand, be the face she sees when she wakes up, try and comfort her – and I can't. God help me, I still love her!"

Oscar patted his shoulder, but anything he might have said in response was drowned out by the softest sound imaginable...a low, quiet moan from inside the cubicle. It was the first sign of life from Jaime since she'd been brought in, more than 48 hours earlier, and Oscar and Steve stepped anxiously into the cubicle doorway.

Chris had risen from his chair and was hovering close to Jaime's bed as she began to

thrash restlessly, small, plaintive cries of pain coming from deep within her body before she'd even opened her eyes.

"I'll get Rudy," Oscar said quickly, turning to find that Rudy, alerted by the remote monitors, was already halfway down the hall.

Steve had to physically force himself to remain in the hallway and not rush to Jaime's side. "I feel so helpless," he whispered to Oscar.

Chris, too, was feeling helpless. All he could do was stand by and hold Jaime's hand; brushing the hair from her eyes or even kissing her was likely to cause her more pain. Rudy gently tried to keep her head from flailing about and, very slowly, Jaime opened her eyes.

"No-o-o..." she cried, real tears now burning on her injured face. She began trying to sit up, and Rudy and Chris eased her back down with careful, gentle hands.

"Take it easy, Honey," Rudy said soothingly. "Just rest. I'm giving you something for the pain." He injected the contents of a syringe directly into Jaime's IV line, and soon she fell back onto her pillow, sighing deeply. Steve focused in on her face, and he watched as her eyes darted frantically around; she was terror-stricken, and his heart ached for her.

"I'm...not...dead?" she whispered, her voice growing weaker.

"You'll be just fine, Baby," Chris told her. "Rudy's taking good care of you, and I'm right here -"

"Where's...Steve...?"

Steve's every nerve fiber stood on edge; had she really just said that? Tentatively, he took a single step into the cubicle. "I'm here, too, Jaime. I'm right here."

"Steve..." Jaime took the hand Chris had been holding and extended it toward Steve. Rudy stepped to the side to allow Steve to approach the bed.

"Hi there," Steve said softly, very mindful of Chris' questioning gaze. "Welcome back."

"What...happened?" Jaime mumbled, refusing to give in to the sedative just yet. Her eyes sought out only Steve's, pulling him in and holding him with her gaze.

"You had an accident -" he began.

Jaime nodded weakly. "My 'chute..."

Steve frowned, glancing quickly at Rudy. The doctor leaned in closer. "Honey, I think you need to rest now. We'll all talk more later, ok?"

"My chute...tore..." Jaime murmured, reaching across the bed for Steve's hand as her eyelids began to flutter. "I thought...thought I...was dead."

The three men surrounding her stared at each other with wide-eyed alarm as Jaime's eyes closed. "She's out," Rudy whispered a few moments later, motioning the others into the hallway.

"What the hell just happened?" Chris asked as they all sank into chairs. His face was an awful mix of bewilderment and pain. Jaime had seemed to look right past him, searching only for Steve.

"I'm not sure," the doctor admitted.

"She was talking about skydiving," Steve said, shocked to his core, "about her accident..."

"I don't understand," Chris added.

Rudy considered his words carefully. "Jaime's consciousness never had a chance to register the crash that put her here, and her mind is grasping for the only source of severe injury it can come up with. Maybe."

"You mean – her memory's back?" Chris asked, shooting a fast glance at Steve.

"Possibly. Or it could be that Jaime believes she's just been skydiving and had a terrible accident," Rudy allowed, very reluctantly.

"And the rest is just...gone?" Chris was horrified. "She didn't look like she even knew who I was!"

Rudy shook his head slowly. "I wish I could tell you for sure – but I just don't know."

- - - - - -


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Steve looked around the conference table at Oscar, Russ and Jack, trying to distract himself from thoughts of Jaime and what might be happening back in her cubicle. He was keeping his distance, allowing Chris his inconsolable vigil at Jaime's bedside. Rudy had decided it was best to keep her sedated for at least 24 hours, to give her body a little more time to begin healing and – hopefully – her mind a chance to catch up. She'd be waking up again soon, and Steve couldn't let himself consider the possibilities...not yet.

"What has Parr told you, so far?" Steve asked, barely able to focus. The way Jaime had looked at him, it was almost as though...no – she belonged to someone else now! He snapped his thoughts back to the task at hand.

"Absolutely nothing," Russ grumbled. "Not a single word, and he's lawyered up pretty heavily, too."

"I spoke with Williams this morning," Oscar announced, "and there are only two seats of keys for the TransAm. One set is on his ring and he gave the other set to Jaime; so both were accounted for at the time of the crash."

"Are we sure about that?" Hansen responded. He was having trouble admitting that not only had he been wrong about Chris but also that his own right-hand man could've been responsible for the near-tragedy. "I checked that car out personally, and there was no 'hot-wiring' -"

Steve shook his head. "Means nothing. The NSB – or parts, thereof – could've had a key made faster than most locksmiths. You're overlooking something important, Jack – again – Chris obviously wasn't driving that car, so who was?"

"Nobody."

"Excuse me?" Oscar responded.

"There was no blood anywhere in the vehicle," Hansen explained.

"Because it was at the bottom of the lake," Steve countered.

"Wrong. When you said it was found too quickly, Steve, you were right," Hansen allowed. "It had barely begun to fill with water when they pulled it out. But even if the blood had been washed away, the only damage – and yes, there was extensive damage – was external. The steering wheel and seat belt were both intact."

"They must have weighted down the accelerator and aimed it straight at Jaime," Russ theorized.

"Like a loaded missile," Steve concluded grimly.

"Exactly. Probably propelled it from the same truck they used to pull it from the tree."

"It still doesn't add up," Steve said, beginning to pace. "Parr may have been ticked as hell, but is that enough of a motive to murder? And why wouldn't he let the thing fill with water – and wash away any evidence – unless he wanted Chris picked up right away...it's almost like Chris was as much of a target as Jaime."

"Or the only target?" Russ added. "You know, get to the operative by hurting the woman he loves?"

"Chris isn't important enough for that," Steve scoffed.

"Not to the CIA, but maybe to someone else?"

Oscar stood up. "He may have a point, Pal. Russ, I want you to look into any contacts Williams may have forged, both inside and outside our ranks. Jack and I will see what we can get from Parr and Renshaw. Steve, keep your eyes and ears on Williams. He may be innocent, but it's still possible he knows a lot more than he's told us about."

A quiet knock on the conference room door ended the discussion, and Steve opened the door to find Rudy looking for him. "Jaime's awake," the doctor told him, "and she's asking for you."

- - - - - -

"She doesn't even know me," Chris said brokenly, from the hallway outside the cubicle.

Rudy quickly led Steve in to see Jaime. "I found him for you, Honey," he told her, quickly checking her vital signs one more time before stepping back away from the bed.

Jaime smiled weakly. "Thank you, Doctor..."

"Wells," he answered, realizing she no longer recognized him, either. "Rudy Wells."

"Thank you, Doctor Wells."

Rudy nodded, flashed Jaime a quick smile in return and cast a brief 'be careful' glance at Steve before leaving the two of the two of them alone.

"How do you feel?" Steve asked, suddenly completely unsure of himself with the woman he'd known nearly his entire life. "Are you in pain?"

"The doctor gave me something," Jaime told him groggily. "Steve, why do all these people seem to know me, and I don't know any of them? What's happening to me?"

"You've been here for a few days, Sweetheart; you were unconscious."

"What...happened to me up there?"

With the words 'up there', Steve knew she didn't mean the car crash, but he had no idea how to answer her or what Rudy and the others had already told her. "I think maybe you should take it easy for now," he suggested. "Plenty of time to talk about that later, when you're stronger."

"'K..." Jaime said softly, reaching for Steve's hand as she drifted toward sleep once again. Her eyes quickly snapped open. "Our wedding!" she gasped.

"What?"

"We're...gonna have to...postpone it...'til I'm outta here." With that, Jaime fell sound asleep and Steve turned to see Chris standing just a few steps behind him with tears in his eyes.

- - - - - -


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Steve and Chris avoided each other's eyes as they waited silently in Rudy's office for the doctor to return with his latest verdict on Jaime's condition. The room was tense, with each man lost in his own thoughts and wary speculation of the other's intent. Steve knew exactly what Williams was going through, of course – the anguish and frustration – and although he'd never wish that sort of pain on anyone, he couldn't help but feel a ray of hope (for the first time in years) about his own chances at a future with Jaime.

At the same time, if he acted on his feeling for her (and allowed Jaime to do the same), and she later began to remember Chris, the 'cad' role was not one he could wear comfortably. He knew it simply wouldn't be fair to her to take advantage of what could prove to be a temporary situation.

Rudy took a seat behind his desk and regarded both men carefully before he spoke. "Her abrasions are beginning to heal nicely," he told them, "but the fractures will take considerably longer. Her vital signs are steady at the moment and there's been no further swelling in her brain." He paused, knowing the next news wasn't entirely good for either of them. "Unfortunately, she still believes these injuries occurred in a skydiving accident..."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Chris pleaded. "How can three years of her life just be...gone?"

"They may come back, in time," Rudy explained. "Head trauma – especially severe head trauma – is extremely unpredictable."

"Does she know she's bionic?" Steve questioned.

"I don't know. She's in a lot of pain, although medications are helping with that, and she's very frightened. It's not a good idea to push her in any way. We don't know where Jaime is at, emotionally, and too much all at once could cause immeasurable damage. We have to let her call the shots now, bring things up as she's ready to handle them and if we question her at all, we need to be very careful to heed the smallest signs of physical or emotional distress. Her condition is too fragile to risk any sort of setback."

"Can I...see her?" Chris asked quietly. "She can think I'm an orderly or something like that; I just wanna be with her..."

"That's fine," Rudy told him. Once Williams was gone, the doctor turned his attention to Steve. "What about you? How are you holding up?"

"Rudy, Jaime and I weren't engaged until after she her accident," Steve said slowly. "Why does she think -?"

"The mind does very strange things when it's been traumatized. Perhaps you were talking about getting married earlier...?"

Steve frowned slightly, thinking back. "You know, you're right. We were sort of batting the subject around – casually, but talking about it – right before we went to the airport."

"There you go. That's probably it."

"I guess we play it by ear, huh?"

"Exactly."

"I think I'll go look in on Jaime – and Chris. Thanks, Rudy."

"Anytime you need to talk..."

"I know." Steve took a moment to ensure his emotions were firmly in check, then headed off toward the ICU.

The first thing he heard was Chris' voice. "I don't look familiar at all? Jaime, please – just look in my eyes. You know me; you **have** to know me!"

_What the hell? _Steve pushed all thoughts of giving them their privacy aside and strode immediately into the cubicle. "What are you doing?" he asked quietly.

"I need some time to talk to Jaime alone," Chris told him with an edge to his voice, never looking away from the bed. "Baby, I love you! Just try a little harder and I know you'll remember."

"Stop it, Chris," Steve insisted, his teeth and his fists clenched. "I think you'd better leave now."

"I...I'm sorry..." Jaime stammered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Steve – who is he?"

"Dammit, Jaime!" Williams seethed. "He's not your fiance; _I am!"_

Jaime's plaintive cry of confusion and pain was more than Steve could bear. He grabbed Chris by the shirt collar with his right hand, dragged him into the hallway out of Jaime's sight, drew back his left fist and delivered a punch that sent him sprawling across the floor. Oscar, just coming around the corner, nearly tripped over him and looked questioningly in Steve's direction.

"Oscar, get Rudy – quick!" Steve called to him before hurrying back to Jaime. Her tears were flowing without a sound, and she didn't blink or acknowledge Steve's return, but merely stared, wide-eyed and frightened, at the ceiling, her breath coming in short, staccato gasps like a wounded animal.

- - - - - -


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

With a feather-light touch, Steve tenderly brushed the tears from Jaime's eyes, attempting to comfort her in the only way he could. He longed to wrap her in his arms and hold her close but he didn't dare jostle or move her. Jaime's body shuddered, and as Steve watched helplessly her gaze shifted and he could see her withdrawing, her eyes staring blankly into nothingness.

"Jaime," he said softly, "it's gonna be alright. Please don't give up, Sweetheart; Rudy's coming, and you'll feel a lot better once you've had the chance to rest." He clasped her hand in both of his own, willing her to hang on and trying to keep her from fading. "I know you're scared, but I'm right here and I won't let anyone hurt you – I promise." Rudy rushed in, and Steve kept whispering words of comfort and love until the doctor's sedative took control and Jaime's eyes closed. Her frantic, ragged gasps slowed to a regular rhythm and the two men breathed silent sighs of relief as they moved into the hallway.

"What happened in here?" Rudy demanded.

"Williams is an idiot." Steve heard the conference room door close firmly and knew without looking that Oscar was holding Chris in there. "He tried to force Jaime to remember him."

"Oh, no..." Rudy cringed. "Doesn't he realize how much harm that could do?"

"He's lucky I only hit him with a left."

"You hit him?" Rudy nodded, appreciating the restraint it must have taken for Steve not to knock Chris into the next universe.

"Thing is, I know how he feels," Steve sympathized. "I know what's it's like to have the woman you love not even know who you are – it's the most painful, haunting, _frustrating _feeling you can imagine -"

"But when it happened to you, you loved Jaime enough to do what was best for her. You walked away."

"He does love her, Rudy. I can see that," Steve admitted.

The doctor bristled. "Do you know what could've happened? He not only jeopardized her emotionally...he endangered her _life!"_

"Will she...be ok?" Steve asked tentatively, his heart pounding.

"I don't know. She's still at high risk for further brain swelling, breathing problems and internal bleeding, not to mention the emotional trauma this little stunt may have caused. If he can't control himself, I'll ban him from the hospital."

"Maybe it won't have to come to that."

"I don't trust him, Steve. How hard did you hit him?"

"Not half as hard as I wanted to. The look on Jaime's face..." Steve glanced down the hall at the still-closed conference room door. "I'd better check and see what Oscar's doing to him."

Rudy nodded and returned to his patient.

Steve found Oscar standing, arms folded, glaring at Chris who was slumped down in his chair with his head in his hands. "Is she...alright?" Chris asked when he noticed Steve.

"You should've thought of that fifteen minutes ago," Steve seethed. "You could have killed her!"

"I didn't...mean...to hurt her. It's just so hard -"

Steve quietly closed the door and then pulled a chair up very close to where Chris sat, attempting to stare directly into his eyes. "I have to ask you this, and I'll only ask once. You said you didn't mean to hurt her. Did you have _anything _to do with Jaime's accident?"

"Of course not!"

"Do you know who did?" Steve persisted.

"No!" Chris pounded his hands down onto the table and slowly raised his head. "Look, I know I did a stupid thing today -"

"A _dangerously _stupid thing..." Steve interjected.

"But I never meant to hurt her! I'll do anything I can to make up for it – anything that'll help..."

"Chris, Jaime may need both of us to help her adjust to everything that's happened to her. She may never be back to the Jaime you knew, or the Jaime I knew, either, but we have to love her enough to know that her needs come first now. Three years ago, I had to love her enough to let her go and you just might have to do the same thing. Can you handle that?"

"I...think...so."

Steve stood up and leaned back against the table, eying his rival closely. "That's not good enough. I know you're hurting too, but what you did today can't ever happen again."

"I know that," Chris said, thoroughly humbled.

"Make sure it doesn't," Steve concluded, "or next time you'll be meeting my other fist." Without waiting for a reply, Steve left Chris alone with Oscar, closing the door behind him.

- - - - - -


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Steve was finally where he longed to be – at Jaime's side – but there was no joyful reunion, only sad, anxious hours spent waiting for the sedative to wear off. Those hours passed with excruciating slowness, and still Jaime didn't open her eyes. Chris came and left several times throughout the night, but he had agreed that, for now, Steve should be the one staying with her since he was the one she was expecting to see. Rudy checked his patient every hour, trying not to convey his own grave sense of concern to an already devastated Steve.

Morning dawned, and Jaime began to stir restlessly, her eyes moving rapidly behind their lids as though she was dreaming. Every so often, a lone tear streaked silently down her face. Steve spoke to her softly, unsure if she was actually hearing him, but trying nonetheless to maintain some sort of contact. When there was no response, he began gently circling the palm of her hand with his fingertips, a gesture that had always calmed her as a small child. Finally, Jaime opened her eyes.

Her head didn't turn; she stared straight up at the ceiling without blinking or even seeming to actually _see_ anything. Steve hit the call button as he watched her tears begin to flow freely, still without a sound.

"Hi there," he said in a quiet voice. Jaime flinched, just slightly, at the sound of his voice and a tiny whimper escaped her lips. "It sure is good to see those beautiful eyes again. The doctor tells me you're starting to heal. You'll be outta here and in a regular room in another day or two; isn't that great news?"

"Hi, Jaime." Rudy greeted her from the doorway, so as not to startle her, before walking slowly toward the bed. "Do you remember me? I'm Doctor Wells – but you can call me Rudy. Are you in pain, Honey?" Jaime nodded wordlessly, almost imperceptibly, and the two men breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least she was hearing them. "This should make you a lot more comfortable," he told her, adding medicine to her IV fluid.

Steve, still rubbing Jaime's palm, leaned in a little closer. "If you need to, you can squeeze my hand until the pain goes away. Go ahead; my fingers can take it." Slowly, her fingers curved around his and stayed there. "That's it. I'm here, Sweetheart. And...I love you."

- - - - - -

Seeing Jaime in that condition made Steve even more furious with Chris, but he tried to remind himself that Williams had also been victimized and was hurting, too. While Jaime slept, Steve mulled over what they knew about the accident for at least the hundredth time, and the picture still didn't gel; there were too many pieces missing.

Parr couldn't have acted alone, and most likely had hired others to do the dirty work. Possibly Parr, himself, was an underling - a mere cog in someone's twisted idea of revenge or a path to instant wealth. What did Senator Renshaw know that he wasn't saying? It was frustrating to leave the search for answers to someone else, but Steve knew he was exactly where he belonged – next to Jaime, keeping her safe.

- - - - - -

When Jaime woke up again, she was in a new bed, in a 'regular' room, in the hope that she'd feel more comfortable away from the constant bright lights and activity of the ICU. It worked. As she took in her new surroundings, the tension seemed to drain from her body and her eyes drifted until they found Steve's and stayed there, drawing strength from the warmth and love reflected back to her.

"Steve..."

"Hi, Sleepyhead. Welcome back." He flashed his best lopsided grin and reached out to carefully caress her cheek. Jaime's head turned, nuzzling his hand, so he kept it there a little while longer. Finally, she smiled back at him.

"I'm...glad...that you're here. I've been...so scared..."

"I know, Sweetheart, but you're safe now. Everything's gonna be OK."

"Steve...who was that man?"

"His name is Chris."

"Oh." She looked puzzled, then sad and frightened, all at once. "He was so upset, and he said -"

"Shh," Steve soothed, giving Jaime a gentle kiss. "Let's work on getting you stronger, and not try for too much too soon, OK?"

"But – he knows me, and he said that he's...that we're engaged. I don't even know him - why would he say that? What's happening to me?"

Steve glanced up just in time to see Chris standing in the hallway, out of Jaime's line of vision. He raised one eyebrow to warn him off before turning his attention back to Jaime. Wisely taking the hint, Williams turned and slowly walked away.

- - - - - -


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The question was so unexpected – and completely out of the blue – that Steve had absolutely no idea how to answer it.

"What's the date today?" Jaime asked, a few days after moving into the private hospital room.

"Where did that come from?" he responded. "It's Thursday."

"Well, I know that, but what's the date? And please don't tell me I need to rest now, because I've been doing nothing but!"

"February 3rd."

"_What year is it, Steve?" _she demanded, with the most strength she'd shown since the accident. "I heard the nurses talking about President Carter and Camp David – since when is Carter the President?"

Steve moved quickly to the edge of her bed, wrapping a very careful arm around her as he saw the fear and sadness begin to pearl on her cheeks. "Jaime -" he began, still unsure of what to say. He couldn't lie to her, but was she ready...?

"Exactly how long was I unconscious?" she persisted.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked gently.

"My 'chute tore and I hit some trees. I...don't remember...hitting the ground. How long was I out of it?"

"Not that long, really. Less than a week."

"Well, then something's really wrong here. Seems I missed out on an awful lot in less than a week."

"Just tell her, Steve," Chris said angrily, stepping into the doorway from his seat in the hall.

"Back off, Chris," Steve warned.

"She deserves the truth." Williams strode firmly into the room, carrying the newspaper he'd been reading.

Jaime looked nervously from one man to the other, correctly sensing the extreme tension between them and growing more frightened by the moment. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"It's **1979**, Jaime," Chris said as his eyes shot bullets at Steve. "If he won't tell you, I will!"

"That's...not possible..."

"See for yourself," Chris told her, laying the newspaper in her lap. "_He's _been keeping you from finding out so he can have you all to himself." Williams reached out to touch Jaime's hair, his other hand on her arm as though he was trying to claim a possession. "I love you, Baby. I won't lie for him anymore."

Steve rose to his feet and circled around the bed toward Chris. "Take your hands off of her," he said with barely restrained fury. "You've crossed the line, Williams; you need to leave – now – before I really hurt you."

"I love you, Jaime," Chris said again. "We were engaged, and then you crashed your car and -"

Steve hoped his body blocked Jaime's view of what he was doing as he grabbed Chris by the throat with his right hand, landed a solid punch with his left and then threw him bodily from the room. "If you ever come near her again," he told Williams who was now slumped against a wall, halfway down the hall, "so help me...just _**don't**__."_

He returned to the bed, where Jaime was staring wide-eyed at the newspaper. "That's...more than three years!" she cried softly. "What's going on? What...happened to me?"

"You were in a car accident," he answered, as gently as possible. Although he was sure the ruckus and the thud when Chris hit the wall had alerted the staff, Steve pressed the red call button, reserved for emergencies, before taking Jaime into his arms. She was shaking violently but was too stunned to cry.

"It was...bad?"

Steve nodded. "Yes, it was. We were all afraid we were gonna lose you."

"And I was engaged – to him?" Jaime's voice rose with fear.

"Well, not for very long." Steve brushed the hair from her eyes with tender fingertips and kissed her forehead in a gesture of comfort. "I'm so sorry you had to hear it all like this. We were waiting until you were stronger -"

"So you and me...we're...not engaged?"

"No," Steve admitted. "It's a long story, and I promise I'll tell you all of it, but -"

"I am sorta tired," Jaime allowed, "but we can talk later, right?" She sighed, leaning into the strength of his arms and finding solace and warmth there. "I trust you, Steve; I know you wouldn't lie to me."

"Never. If I don't think you're ready to hear something, I'll tell you that, but I swear to you – I have never lied to you, Jaime, and I'm not gonna start now."

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

"Count on it." Steve felt her body instantly relax, and within seconds Jaime was fast asleep, curled against his chest and still securely (but very gently) cradled within his loving embrace.

- - - - - -


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Chris wisely kept his distance for the next few days, while Steve and Rudy began to help Jaime fill in the blanks, one by one. She had to take what they told her on faith, though, since hearing about the missing three years did nothing to restore them in her memory. She was full of questions, and they did their best to answer each one as fully and honestly as possible. The only subject they hadn't touched on yet was her bionics, because she still hadn't been out of her bed, but her injuries were healing rapidly, and her strength was beginning to return. Steve and Rudy knew it was only a matter of time.

"So we were engaged but we never got married?" Jaime asked, still working on getting the details straight.

"That's right," Steve told her. "And Baltic with a hotel means you owe me $450.00."

"Slumlord," Jaime grumbled, handing over the phony cash. "What happened?" she persisted, passing him the dice. "Why did we split up? I mean...we seem...OK now."

Steve smiled at her, and the intensity of the spark that passed between them took them both a bit by surprise. The feelings that Steve had hidden for so long, and the ones Jaime had newly rediscovered were growing even deeper with each day they spent together.

"You got really sick," Steve explained, "and you were in the hospital for a long time."

"Maybe I should apply to be a professional patient," Jaime quipped. "So – what happened?"

"Well, actually, you developed amnesia -"

"Talk about deja vu...!"

"Yeah, I know. We never really 'split up', and we stayed close friends, but -"

"But no wedding."

"No wedding," Steve confirmed, moving his race car around the board and landing on Reading.

"Damn," Jaime mused. _ Sure wish that knot had gotten tied before I got sick..."_And you owe me $200."

There was so much more Steve wanted to say. _I've never stopped loving you, Jaime; I couldn't even if I'd tried. I'd still marry you in a heartbeat..._But he refused to rush her, and simply handed over the $200.

- - - - - -

After a few more days of rest and healing, Jaime was growing stir crazy and Rudy finally agreed to let Steve take her outside for some fresh air. He found a quiet spot in the sun, surrounded by patches of winter wild flowers, parked her chair there and lifted her out onto the grass, where he could sit down beside her.

"It's so beautiful out here," Jaime exulted, tipping her face upward to feel the warmth of the California sunshine. Steve kissed her cheek and Jaime turned her head until – for the first time since she'd awakened in the ICU – their lips brushed against each other and then met fully for a sweet and tender reunion. Steve, ever mindful of her injuries, kept the kiss light but the fire re-igniting within them was undeniable. The rest of the world seemed to melt away and they saw only each other...

They didn't notice the approach of a visitor until he stood directly over them. "Get your hands off my fiancée, Austin."

Steve and Jaime's heads turned almost as one; Chris Williams' eyes were stone cold and Steve instinctively moved to place himself between Chris and Jaime – even before he saw the gun.

"They won't let me see you anymore," Chris told Jaime, "did you know that? _He _got me banned from the hospital so he could spoon-feed you his private version of the truth, and I see it's working."

"Williams, don't be stupid. This place is crawling with security. Put the gun down before you end up getting hurt," Steve said firmly.

"Jaime, he's taking advantage of you," Chris whined. "Can't you see that? We were so happy, and we'll be that happy again – I know we will – I love you!"

"I'm still not sure who you are," Jaime said in a calm, steady voice, "but I know you're the one who's lying. The way you've acted, the awful things you've said to Steve...and to me...I could never love you."

Chris bristled with blind fury. "You will, once he's outta the way!" He cocked the gun and pointed it at Steve.

"No!" Jaime cried. She picked up the only thing within reach – her wheelchair – and threw it with a strength she didn't yet know that she had, directly at Chris. Williams was knocked backwards with surprising force, straight in the direction of the security team that was running toward them. Steve pulled Jaime close, burying her face in his shoulder as Russ threw the handcuffs on Chris with more force than necessary and quickly led him away.

"That gun..." Jaime whispered, finally looking up into Steve's face.

"You're safe, Sweetheart. I guarantee he won't bother you again."

"Steve, I remember...he had that same gun...right after the car crash!"

- - - - - -


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Steve helped Rudy get Jaime comfortable back in her bed before the questioning began in earnest. "Do you remember the other car hitting you, Honey?" Rudy asked gently.

"No..." Jaime said slowly, leaning into Steve's arms as he sat on the edge of her bed, ready to help her in any way he could. "I opened my eyes, just for a second, and it hurt so bad that I had to close them."

"Does it hurt now?" Rudy quickly interjected.

"Not any more than usual." Jaime sighed and shivered at the new memories. "_He –_ Chris – was there...and he had that gun."

"Was that when he came and got in the ambulance?" Steve guessed.

"No...there wasn't...the ambulance wasn't there. Just a big truck..."

Steve and Rudy exchanged glances with Oscar, who stood off to one side, listening, since Jaime still didn't remember who he was.

"Sweetheart, are you _sure_ Chris was there before the ambulance?" Steve probed, as carefully as possible.

"I know it was him. He was...yelling at someone."

"Who? Who else was there?"

Jaime shook her head slowly. "I couldn't see. My head hurt so much...but I could hear everything – really clearly." The three men remained quiet, giving her a chance to work through the memory and tell them more. "He – Chris – told someone '_Damn it; you were only supposed to scare her! You said she wouldn't get hurt!' _I even heard him cock the gun."

Jaime took a deep, shuddering breath, and Steve held her a little closer. "Take your time," he said softly.

"He told them to give him ten minutes and then call an ambulance. Another man said that someone would drive by eventually and that they should just let them make the call, and Chris told him again '_**Ten minutes**__ – then call for help.' _Then I heard him get into a car and drive away." She paused again, collecting herself. "Somebody opened my car door and they leaned into my car and said I was already dead and they'd better get outta there...and then there was nothing...I guess...I passed out. That's all I remember."

Oscar stepped over to the bed and gave Jaime a reassuring smile. "You did great, Jaime," he told her. "I'll take care of it from here." He waited until he was out of bionic hearing range before pulling out his datacom to call Russ, who was almost back at OSI-Los Angeles with their new prisoner. "Throw Williams in the hole," he ordered. "We're charging him with attempted murder."

- - - - - -

"Why'd you do it?" Steve demanded. Williams had been questioned continuously ever since he'd been taken into custody and now – just after midnight – it was Steve's turn. So far, Chris had said nothing, but formal interrogation techniques and regulations didn't seem to apply in The Hole, and Steve felt no sympathy...and no mercy.

Chris looked up and glared at Steve, his jaw set in a stubborn clench; he didn't say a word. "Nothing to say for yourself?" Steve challenged.

"We've been through this already – you're the one who cleared me, remember?" Chris said with a smirk.

"You never really loved Jaime at all, did you?" Steve asked angrily.

"Of course I did! I still do!"

"Do you always try to kill the people you love?"

"I didn't try to kill her! They let me go once because they had no proof -"

Steve couldn't stomach Williams' smug look for another second. "Get up," he ordered.

"I don't think so; I'm pretty comfy here on my nice steel mattress." As if to emphasize the point, Chris crossed his shackled arms and leaned back with a mocking grin.

It was too much. "I hope you enjoyed it," Steve thundered, "because it's the last comfortable moment you'll have for a very long time!" He forced Chris to his feet with a hard yank on the chains and threw him backward into the cell wall, with a punch to his stomach to give him greater impact against the thick concrete and steel.

"I sent your guards on a break," Steve told the downed man, leaning threateningly close to his face. "We're the only ones down here. I suggest you start talking."

"And what should we talk about?" Chris taunted defiantly. "The weather? Current events?"

"You saw Jaime in that car – she was _dying! _- and all you were worried about was getting a ten minute head start, you son-of-a-"

"Who told you that?"

"Your intended victim!" Steve shouted, right in his face. Using the shackle chain as a sort of handle, he slammed Chris back against the concrete again. "The woman you damn-near killed; she heard every word you said!" Steve raised Williams to his feet then delivered two rapid punches – one to his jaw and the second to his gut before tossing him down like a sack of rotten vegetables.

"She wasn't...supposed to get hurt..." Chris choked out, barely conscious. "Just wanted...to convince her...to retire – with me. I...love Jaime...and I never meant...to hurt her."

Steve stared down at him with disgust. "You're pathetic," he spat. "I hope they give you the electric chair, so I can be there, pulling the switch."

- - - - - -


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning, Steve found that Jaime had the Monopoly board set up and waiting, a sure sign she had things she needed to discuss. It didn't take long.

"Can I ask you something?" she ventured, just minutes into the game.

"Sure. Ask me anything."

"If I was engaged – to _him –_ and we've been split up for years...why were you here when I woke up? I mean, I'm glad you were, but I was wondering..."

Steve paid for his newly-purchased railroad and handed Jaime the dice. She seemed able to talk more freely when they played at the same time, and if it helped her, he was all for it. "I never stopped loving you, Jaime," he said simply. "Maybe part of it was the fact that we didn't actually 'break up'..."

"That must've been so hard on you: one day, boom – he love you knew is just...gone. Sort of like what happened to Chris."

"Not at all," Steve argued, trying his best to keep a lighter tone. "What happened with Chris was his own doing; I have no sympathy for him."

"Trade you Vermont for Reading?" she suggested.

"Not on your life," he laughed. "But try me again later."

"Oh, I will." Jaime rolled her third doubles and Steve helpfully placed her token in the Jail space. "Did he...talk to you...?" she asked, grudgingly putting $50.00 into the bank.

"Yes, he did."

"And?"

Steve set the dice down and took Jaime's hand. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"No, but I need to hear it. What'd he say?"

"He set you up to scare you into retiring."

"Huh?" Jaime frowned. "I don't get it. He almost...retired me – permanently."

"He said you weren't supposed to get hurt, just run off the road and frightened badly enough to agree to enter Parr's little non-resort community with him." Jaime knew very little about her life as an operative, so Steve tried to gloss over it as much as he could. "He wanted to retire and wanted you to be with him."

"Oh." Jaime sighed and leaned over onto Steve's shoulder, the game temporarily forgotten.

"I talked to Parr this morning, too, and he confirmed what Chris told me – to a point. He said Chris set up the accident, but..." Steve's voice trailed off. There seemed to be no way to tell her the rest without bringing up a subject she still knew nothing about: _bionics. _

"What?" Jaime probed.

"Well, Parr said Chris paid to arrange the accident...to kill you."

"Somebody's lying."

"Maybe they both are; Oscar's looking into it for us," Steve told her. Senator Renshaw was being re-questioned as they spoke, and it was hoped he'd put the remaining pieces into place in an effort to keep himself from the same fate as Parr and Williams.

"I like Oscar," Jaime said, brightening. "Too bad he doesn't play Monopoly."

- - - - - -

"How's Jaime's condition?" Oscar asked, sitting down at the conference table with Rudy, Russ and Steve that afternoon.

"She's made dramatic improvements," Rudy reported. "She's ready to get up and walk again, which means -"

Steve nodded. "Which means she's about to start wondering why that doesn't exactly feel the way she's expecting it to."

"Right. And knowing Jaime, nothing but a full explanation will do."

"She'll be OK with it; I'll help her," Steve stated. He turned to Oscar. "What'd you get from Renshaw?"

"Our friend Mr. Parr didn't take kindly to having to back down on sending Jaime to his 'community'," Oscar explained. "He played on Chris' emotions – in front of the Senator, no less – by telling him how safe and happy he and Jaime could be together, with their own house and never having to work. Told him they could spend every waking moment with each other -"

"Conveniently leaving out the part about being locked up like animals," Steve grumbled.

"Right. Williams wanted out of the CIA even more than Jaime had wanted retirement, and Parr spun the facts around until he made Chris believe it was the only possible way to keep Jaime with him. Chris thought that a good scare might get Jaime to agree to go, and he suggested running her off the road."

Steve bristled. "Son-of-a -"

"But it was Parr who offered to make all the arrangements. He set it up, including the supposed theft of Chris' car. But he double-crossed Williams, too."

"How? What happened?"

"We went back to Parr with what we knew, and he finally broke," Oscar told them. "He saw Jaime as someone who would always rebel against being locked away -"

"And he got that part right," Steve confirmed.

"He never intended for Jaime to live through the accident. Chris, either. If Williams hadn't pulled a gun, they were supposed to have killed him, just to tie up the loose end. They'd planned to put him behind the wheel of his own car – a double-fatality accident. Then Parr and his cronies would've made a fortune selling Jaime's body to the highest bidder."

"I'd rather not tell Jaime that part, just yet," Steve said softly. "But she'll get it out of me eventually. She just has this way..."

"Just let her call the shots," Rudy suggested. "She knows what she's ready to handle. And since she's demanding to get up and start moving, I guess we know what the next step has to be."

"Good luck, Pal," Oscar told Steve. "We'll handle the legal end, but I think the toughest job is probably yours."

"I hate to have to lay all of this on her," Steve said quietly, "but I'm just grateful she's still here...and that I'll be the one she asks about it." He chuckled softly to himself. "Maybe one of these days, I'll even manage to beat her." Seeing Oscar's raised eyebrow, he hurried to explain. "Monopoly. The lady is a shark."

- - - - - -


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue

Steve got out the board and began setting up the bank right after lunch, but Jaime shook her head slowly, with a sad, haunted look in her eyes. "I don't really feel like playing right now..." she said in a quiet voice.

"Rather go for a walk?" Steve suggested. "I'll get your chair -"

"No, thanks."

"Fresh air might make you feel a lot better."

"Steve, what's wrong with my hand?" Jaime held both of her hands out in front of her body and was staring at them intently.

"They both look fine to me," he countered, still not sure if she was really asking _the _question.

"This one doesn't feel right," she puzzled, making a fist with her right hand. Jaime picked up the cup from her bedside table and held it with her left hand, then transferred it to her right. "I can't explain it – maybe I have nerve damage, from the accident...?"

Steve closed the door before joining Jaime, sitting directly next to her on the bed. He wrapped one arm around her, pulling her close, and gently took both of her hands in his. "There's nothing _wrong _with your hand," he began, "but there is something you should know..."

Rudy discovered the closed door about an hour later and, since he had faith that Steve had things well in hand, he left the two of them to talk in private; Steve wouldn't hesitate to call if he (or Jaime) needed help.

Initially, Jaime was shocked and horrified by the new revelations. Steve could see panic in the teardrops that formed in her eyes. Tenderly, with both hands, he reached up and touched her face, his fingertips caressing away her tears. "There's one other thing you need to know," he told her softly. "Three years before we went skydiving, I had an accident, too – a really bad one." He looked deeply into Jaime's eyes. "One of my hands is bionic, like yours."

"I can't...feel...the difference..." she whispered.

Steve smiled. "Exactly."

"Oh. And...I'll be able to walk like a normal person?"

"You _are _a normal person, Sweetheart. And yes, you'll be walking – and running – before you know it. We can start today, right now, if you want."

"A little later," Jaime told him, reaching for the Monopoly box. "I suddenly feel the urge to kick your butt."

Steve laughed and kissed her cheek. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Jaime's eyes kept drifting to meet Steve's as they played, while she slowly absorbed everything he had just told her. It was frightening, yes, but she knew for a fact that with Steve beside her, she'd be just fine. Jaime suddenly felt the depth of their love - the fact that it had survived through life-threatening catastrophes, separations, murderous foreign factions and even threats from within their own government – and she felt warmed and protected by its glowing strength.

When she landed on St Charles Place (with hotel) and handed over the last of her money to Steve, he looked at her suspiciously. "Did you let me win...?" he asked, grinning.

Jaime shrugged, her eyes wide with innocence as she curled into him for one more kiss. "Who cares about a game?" she said, smiling with her whole heart. "I've already won."

END


End file.
